Activision Shoots Down ESPN's Request To Air Kobe Bryant Commercial

Friday on ESPN’s Outside the Lines: First Report, Bob Ley moderated a discussion regarding Kobe Bryant’s appearance in the Call of Duty: Black Ops commercial, where the Lakers star is seen firing a gun.

In case you were wondering why the commercial didn’t air before the panel discussed the topic, Activision, creators of the video game, shot down ESPN’s request as Ley explained:

“We would like to show you the commercial, but its makers refused us permission. Now if you’re multitasking at home, you can Google ‘Kobe Black Ops’. Google it right now if you would like to see this spot which has spurred questions about the propriety of Bryant’s appearance in the commercial. We invited Bryant, the Lakers and the NBA to comment or join us today. Each declined to comment.”

Snarky move, ESPN.

The panel that discussed the commercial included ESPN contributor Bomani Jones, Syracuse professor Robert Thompson, Hawaii Pacific University professor Dr. David Mayeda, Adam Fusfeld of Business Insider’s Sports Page, and Sundance DiGiovanni of Major League Gaming.